Peter helped found the patient support group, ‘Living with Carcinoid’, with his late wife Liddy in 2000. Liddy (Oldroyd) was an outgoing and successful TV comedy director and was eventually diagnosed with a neuroendocrine cancer in 2000. The pair were encouraged by Prof Martyn Caplin to address the lack of patient and carer support and both had quickly recognised the need for sound information on such a rare cancer, ready assistance and contact with others. Many wonderful friends, including those from stage and screen, helped fund-raise both for LwC and Martyn’s ‘Quiet Cancer Appeal’ at the Royal Free Hospital.
Liddy died in 2002 and Peter, with a colleague Carolyn Marshall, continued to run LwC in Liddy’s memory.
Cathy Bouvier, Peter and others widened the umbrella to all neuroendocrine cancers with the launch of the NET Patient Foundation in 2006 and the team assembled by Cathy built the structure to serve patients and carers across the UK.
With the re-launch as Neuroendocrine Cancer UK in 2020, Peter considers that the operation has progressed beyond his ‘wildest dreams’ of over 20 years ago and he so appreciates the work of the team, the trustees and many supporters in continuing to provide a very valuable service and in truly making a difference to the NCUK community. Regular trustee meetings are held with Cathy present, and with the team reporting, and activities are monitored and supported.
Peter is a Chartered Surveyor/Leisure Property Specialist living in Surrey with his wife Andrea, and Liddy and Peter’s 3 grown-up children live in London